Mace & Crown Fall 2019

M ACE & CROWN FALL 2019

EST. 1930

old dominion university student magazine

ED ITO RI AL B OARD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Brooke Nicholson COPY EDITOR James Finney NEWS EDITOR Natalie Hockaday

FRONT COVER + CONTENTS PHOTO Thomas Island Mohamed Rebeiz Alexander Evans Jorge Zamudio Nicholas Clark CONTRIBUTING MODELS

A & E EDITOR Fatima Rivera

The Nu Theta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Unparalleled Models

TECHNOLOGY EDITOR Kyle Winfield

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

SPORTS EDITOR Siera Goard PHOTO EDITOR Tayla Mallory DIGITAL EDITOR Kieran Rundle

Gabriella Bishop Paula Phounsavath Ashley Mazza Annastasia Bimler James Onuska Rivers Raye Middleton Leah Onosato Tyler Eddins CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Edward Thomas

Nicholas Clark Keith Lucas Jorge Zamudio

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Christiana Potts

SPECIAL THANKS TO

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Sean Fitzpatrick

Trey Lyon & Jada Carson Alpha Phi Alpha Dr. Joyce Hoffmann Anthony Whitaker

Mace & Crown is a student-run magazine written and published for the students of ODU. Originally founded in 1930 as The High Hat, the paper became The Mace and Crown in 1961. Mace & Crown is primarily a self-supporting magazine, maintaining journalistic independence from the university. All views expressed in this collegiate magazine are those of the author, not of the university, Mace & Crown or the editors.

CONTENTS FALL 2019, ISSUE 8

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

4 Student Entrepeneurs 11 Hunter House Victorian Museum 15 Auntie’s Restaurant Review 18 Joker Movie Review

NEWS

19 Alpha Phi Alpha 31 Taking Initiative

SPORTS

33 Player Profile: Lala Davis 35 Inter view with Bobby Wilder & Keion White

TECHNOLOGY

37 41 43 45

Inter view with Dr. Moberly Hey, I See You Four Freaky Metrovania’s Psychology of Terror

CREATIVE ENCLAVE

46 47 49 51 53

I Am Saving You Sleepwalking Cliche Jack O Lantern Tale Real Life How Do You Spell Epiphany

EDITOR’S NOTE

Boo.” - Chucky

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ampus buzzes back to life once the summer is over and fall rolls around. The trees shed their leaves, turn brighter, and leave remnants of the hotter season behind. Break out that dusty cardigan, comfy sweater, and tailgate attire. It is my absolute favorite time of the year, spooky season - autumn.

Even though the season brings joy to those who are tired of the beach and long for the somber scenery, it is a sadder time of the year for me. This fall semester marks the last few months I will be the Mace & Crown’s Editor-in-Chief, and this magazine is the last to be produced with me in the office.

I didn’t know who I was, or even if I deserved a place somewhere anywhere - on campus when I came in as a freshmen in 2014. The world was too big, overwhelming, and seemingly impossible to break into. When I randomly walked into a Mace & Crown general interest meeting one day in 2015, I never imagined myself ending up here.

The Mace has brought myself and so many others opportunities we never thought were possible.

It wasn’t just about the joy being in this position brought me, but it was seeing the writers’ faces when they saw their published articles for the first time, when someone found out they were going to grace the cover, or how others felt comfortable enough to share their uncomfortable story with creativity and courage.

It was about the ODU student entrepreneurs, those moving mountains in Greek life, the woman who develops tools to help others, and the rest of the student body that kicked ass to bring this altogether.

The past year has been about challenges, facing the impossible, not being afraid to go outside and beyond the box, and creating something special just for you. I cannot wait to see how the Mace continues to grow, encourage, and support those willing to share who they are within our pages. For now, please enjoy our special fall edition of the Mace & Crown.

Brooke Nicholson | Editor-in-Chief

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

STUDENT ENTREPRENEURS PROVE TO BE

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BROOKE NICHOLSON Photos by Nicholas Clark

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DU has certainly seen its share of student entrepreneurs grow within its community. From the new student store on Monarch Way that has expanded to a small store in Webb Center, to students growing their own businesses individually, ODU is not shy when it comes to having the students display their products and services. One student, Anthony Whitaker, is proving to his peers that with a little hard work and dedication, up and coming students who want to pursue entrepreneurship are able to do just that once they put their mind to it.

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Anthony Whitaker is the founder and CEO of Unparalleled, LLC, an up-and-coming clothing brand designed for anyone and everyone. Anthony, along with his two friends, CFO and COO, they have been able to expand Unparalleled, with Anthony being the clothing brands’ main designer. The Mace was able to ask Whitaker some questions about his business, what his plans for his clothing brand Unparalleled is, and what students should expect from other students when they start their own businesses.

What was the inspiration for Unparalleled?

To start off I would have to say my mom. One night my father (DeMon), my mother (Nadine) and my sister (Asia) were all sitting around table in the kitchen and my mom simply said, “we have 6 kids one of yall need to make us some money” and I said why not start my own brand. From there the inspiration for Unparalleled stemmed from my own motivation to want to be better in every aspect of my life. I started thinking about ways to motivate myself and others to be the best in their own walk of life. After some self-reflection I realized the only way to be the best was to not worry about what the next person was doing, or being “Unparalleled” to everyone else. The only competition is myself.

Did you look at other clothing brands before starting your own for ideas?

Originally, I did not look at any other brands before developing my designs and ideas. I taught myself how to use photoshop and began freestyling from there and I discovered that I had some hidden talents. Later on, I began researching and looking into other brands and I began following Kith which is now my favorite brand and where I get a lot of my inspiration. Also, Its founder Ronnie Fieg. On a smaller scale I follow brands like WrldInvsn, For The Leaux, Macc, and Catharsis Apparel. By looking at these smaller companies it helped me understand the focus and grind that you have to have to get a brand/clothing business off the ground.

How has the reception to Unparalleled been with the ODU community?

Within the ODU community we are shown nothing but love and encouragement. The students understand our message and we couldn’t be happier with the support we have been given through the school.

This has been shown through the amount of purchases we have had at the monarch way store and an ample amount of inquiries about being a brand ambassador.

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Is the clothing brand doing well, and what kind of feedback have you seen come from it?

The clothing brand is doing extremely well for starters, but we know we can always be doing better, we want more for ourselves and this brand.

There have been some road blocks, but we continue to work through them as a team. The feedback given has been constructive. This is definitely a learning curve, with that comes trial and error. The setbacks we did have happened for a reason and allowed us to come back even harder.

How we overcame these issues was simply living through our brand. When you “Retrieve Your Reflection” anything is possible.

What should students know about student entrepreneurs’ clothing brands?

People should know that this is not an easy task, juggling a business and academics takes a lot of self-discipline and organization. We do this to help other people more than ourselves. We want everyone around us to make an impact, that’s the true heartbeat of unparalleled.

What might some misconceptions be?

We do not make as much money as people think, this is a marathon not a race. All profits at this current time go back into the business. You have to learn how to delay gratification in this game we call life and especially when starting a clothing brand without any major Investors.

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What are some plans for the brands’ future?

We would like to build this company into a multipurpose organization. This will be more than just a brand, we will be the expectation for what a business truly is, having our hands in more buckets than one. We plan to transform Unparalleled LLC into a Marketing/Management Company similar to how Roc Nation operates, but instead tapping into every industry we can get a hold on.

We will also continue selling and developing apparel and we plan to dive deeper into the athletic industry by making athletic wear that’s Unparalleled to any other.

What might you do differently?

Continue to be different from the rest. Making sure we stay unrivaled, unmatched, and Unparalleled in everything we do. We are always going to change it up and do what people won’t expect.

Being Unparalleled is untraceable, you will never know what is coming next.

You can find Unparalleled apparel at the student stores on Monarch Way and in the Webb Center, as well as :

unparalleledlegac.com

@unparalleledlegac

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TAKE A TOUR THROUGH

The Hunter House Victorian Museum Annastasia Bimler Nestled between the modern world and a cobble stone street in the Historic District of Norfolk, sits The Hunter House Victorian Museum. The home was built for the Hunter family in 1894 and turned into a museum in 1988. James Wilson Hunter was a successful Norfolk merchant, banker, and civic leader. Lizzie Ayer Barnes Hunter placed a condition upon their marriage that defied tradition. James Hunter was responsible for providing for the family, but it was Lizzie who was in charge of the family finances. At the time the home was built, it was estimated to cost twenty-thousand dollars. Today, the figure would rise to just over half a million.

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he couple had three children, James W. Hunter, Jr. (1878-1940), Harriett Cornelia (1880-1958), and Eloise Dexter (1885-1965). None of the children married or had children.

James W. Hunter, Jr. went on to serve as a medic in World War I and later became a successful physician in cardiology and radiology. The sisters remained active in several local, state, and national patriotic and genealogical societies. All except James Jr. passed away in the home. Upon request, the home was turned into a museum after the passing of the last family member with the home containing ninety-five percent of its original contents. Today, it is cared for by a wonderful group of staff member’s and docent’s that have fallen in love with its Victorian charm.

Upon entering the house through the large glass door, it’s as though you have stepped into another place in time. The floors creek and moan in acknowledgement of your arrival. Passing through the front parlor, lies a wicker casket used for viewing purposes prior to burial. The parlor is slightly curved, with draperies hung from top to bottom that puddle on the floor. Our lovely tour guide, Patty, said “this was a way for Victorian’s to say they could afford to waste this material.” The fireplace is large, equipped with its beautiful original ceramic tile. Each fireplace on the first floor contains an image on the tile. One image is that of three women, known as “The three muses.” On the mantel lie another original piece; a clock.

Although the clock stopped working decades ago, one staff member, Renee, claims that when alone with the clock, it will start ticking until they take their leave.

Up next we move to the green back parlor and dining room where original books and china remain on the shelves. Patty explains how during the Victorian era, the green dye came from arsenic. This dye could be poisonous to those who wore green clothing. Thus, women in green were considered beautiful but deadly.

There is a donated 148-year-old taxidermy owl, lovingly named Mr. Owl, that is thought of as the guardian to the home.

It is claimed Mr. Owl roams the home at night as the staff will find one of his feathers where it should not be. On the dining table lie the original Ouija board that was found in the attic. According to

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the staff, the Hunter’s did hold seances and were interested in making contact with the deceased. Clairvoyant readings in the home state that the reason contact with the family has not been made is because the planchet is not original to the board. Readings have also indicated the spirits of the family are still attached to the home which accounts for the unexplained noises heard by the staff.

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p the curved staircase is a small landing area, Patty explains a common phrase used during that time called “come hat in hand.” This is where potential suitors or visitors would sit the bench, just under a stained-glass window and small fireplace, their hat must remain in their hands at all times. Further up the stairs you will find the bedrooms of the family. In Victorian times, it was common for the husband and wife to have separate bedrooms. At the top of the landing was Mrs. Hunter’s rooms. On the wall next to Mrs. Hunter’s bedroom is a call button that she would use to call up her live-in servants. Her bedroom contains the original oak bed frame with a ninetythree-inch headboard. It also contains a sitting area in front of a large window, and a large vanity. On the vanity sits mourning pins and a hair jar. When women would brush their hair, they would take fallen out strands, place them in the jar and when they had enough, they would send the hair away to be weaved into broaches or chains for a watch or other tokens. The final item in the room is a marriage cabinet. The custom was to gift this cabinet to a newly married couple, and they would have to put it together themselves. This was probably the first real test of how well their marriage would go.

Moving into another room connected to Mrs. Hunter’s was her morning room.

This is where she would spend a great deal of her morning at her desk going over correspondence and other responsibilities for the day. The desk contains all of its original contents. Opened envelopes, reading glasses, books, and more. Although the papers are too fragile to handle, you get a sense of how she spent her day. Off to the side is a large wardrobe, a donated Victorian sewing machine, and an early Victorian metal mannequin. Just a few feet further are the washroom that connects the morning room and James Hunter Jr’s office. The

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washroom is tiny, only containing the tub and sink. On the sink are the washroom belongings of James Hunter Jr. The Victorians still had not moved the toilet into the home, so it is located in the outhouse in the backyard.

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ransitioning into the office of Dr. James Hunter Jr. you will find many wonderful objects. On his desk remains all of his papers, letters, writing materials, and more. Above the fireplace are pictures of James Hunter Jr., his diploma’s, and an atomizer. The atomizer was used with water and carbolic acid in “sick rooms” so help kill the germs. One of the best pieces in the house is one of the first EKG Machines that belonged to him, along with its original instruction book and a couple of x-rays. Across the hall from the office is Dr. James Hunter Jr’s. bedroom, formerly Mr. Hunter’s bedroom. Here you find his oak bed, dresser, and a Victorian recliner. On the dresser remains a few of his items such as collars, a handheld mirror, and hairbrush.

Lastly, down the hall from James Jr’s. bedroom, you will find the servants entrance and the children’s bedroom. Only a few items remain that belonged to the children. In the room is small shop where you can purchase teas, stationary, mugs, and more.

The Hunter House Victorian Museum is a wonderful place to visit. They are open April to December and offer a large variety of fundraising events that correspond with the season. For the month of October, the house is in mourning so every Wednesday is a fundraising event where you can get a fifteen-minute psychic reading for $35. Additionally, throughout October, they host events called Enchanted Fall where you can experience a murder mystery, have an evening of Poe, experience a carnival cult and more. For event details, pleawese visit their Facebook, Hunter House Victorian Museum.

The desk of James Jr.

Photos by Annastasia Bimler

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Auntie’s Brings the Island Life near Campus

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Paula Phounsavath Photos by Anthony Evasco

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few blocks away from campus and alongside Colley Ave, stands a small Filipino-Hawaiian fusion restaurant called, Auntie’s Tiki Bar and Restaurant. The restaurant is based in Virginia Beach, where it all began when Doddie Braza and his brother, Raymond, opened the restaurant out of deep admiration for the Filipino and 1960’s Tiki culture in 2018.

Looking forward to today, Auntie’s has been very successful in the Virginia Beach area. Braza decided to open Auntie’s Norfolk in mid-2019, and it has been just as successful as the original restaurant.

The word, “Sisig” originated back in the 18th century, it comes from the full word, “sisigan” which is an old Tagalog dialect for, “to make it sour.” With such strong influence by the Spanish, a friar named Diego Bergaño initially defined sisig as a, “Salad, including green papaya, or green guava eaten with a dressing of salt, pepper, garlic, and vinegar.”

The restaurant itself was relatively small but cozy. The inside was dimly lit, with the exception of the afternoon light. The walls were painted pink and black to mimic palm tree leaves. Laughter and loud chatter filled the place, as patrons with their drinks chatted at the bar as well as the outside patio area.

Like any other restaurant, when seated, the waitress will be able to greet customers with water, along with the option of another drink.

Though there was only one waitress on a steady Saturday night at Auntie’s, she was very patient with customers ordering and took a generous amount of time to come back to take orders.

Because Auntie’s is a fusion restaurant, the menu had a smaller amount of choices to choose from. However, the menu is still growing with more Filipino/Hawaiian dishes. The restaurant’s head chef, Abrizl Levantino--former chef at Bad Saint, is always being innovated at perfecting their craft; oftentimes, Auntie’s menu has a section of limited time dishes. If the dish is favored by customer reviews, then usually it will be added to the menu as a permanent item.

Lumpia are a Filipino take on fried spring rolls, since the Chinese had influenced the Philippines. Lumpia are a staple to any Filipino party, street vendors and of course, a perfect appetizer.

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Starters For starters, I had the vegetable lumpia and spam musubi.

Lumpia The vegetable lumpia came in within 15-20 minutes perfectly crispy.

While hot, the taste was airy and salty from the minced vegetables, but also tangy from the sweet and sour dipping sauce.

Spam Musubi The spam musubi came shortly after the lumpia.The appetizer came in four spam musubis, enough to fill anybody’s stomach. The spam musubi was just as airy and light from the perfectly steamed rice.

The sesame seeds and the light drizzle of teriyaki gave the spam musubi an umami flavor. The spam and white rice that stacked on top of each other had an amazing combination of grilled and steamed along with the smooth, salty taste of the seaweed.

Entrees Moving on to the entrees, there were the spicy sisig and loco moco.

Spicy Sisig The spicy sisig may sound quite intimidating because of the word, “spicy.” On the contrary, the dish was far from what it may taste like as stated on the menu. The spicy sisig was served on a sizzling platter filled with grilled, pulled-pork, a bed of perfectly-steamed rice and topped off with a sunny-side-up egg covered in coleslaw.

Though the pork was not spicy, it had a delicious tangy kick to the dish. The pork was very juicy, as the egg’s runniness made the dish feel like an island breakfast.

Loco Moco The loco moco came in a hot bowl with a sunny side up egg and minced beef covered in gravy, with a bed of white rice. Though the gravy was pretty salty, it was fairly sweet from the perfectly steamed rice. The dish was absolutely tasty and would go flawlessly as a perfect Hawaiian meal.

Final Thoughts Dinner: 8/10 The Filipino-Hawaiian atmosphere was very much alive. Auntie’s food was on point, the service was as steady and accommodating as they possibly could. Ideally, the restaurant can be a good recommendation for a big party of people on a Saturday evening. Overall, eating a night on the town at Auntie’s was pretty good as it is a great place for patrons to socialize, for groups of people to come together and enjoy the Tiki culture.

Originating from Hawaii, spam musubi was created by a nutritionist Barbara Funamura. During World War Two, spam was often eaten by troops. Because of such a large military presence, it became a local adoption leading to the creation of spam musubi.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

JOKER

CRAZY, INSANE AND UNEXPECTED Fatima Rivera

One of the most anticipated films of the year, “Joker” officially hit theaters on Oct. 4, making audiences praise and stir up discourse about the newest adaptation to the famous comic book character.

Joaquin Phoenix stars as Arthur Fleck, an entertainment clown who aspires to be a stand up comedian. At the very beginning of the film, Fleck is rotating a sign on the streets of Gotham city where a group of boys take his sign and lead him on a foot chase, where it ends in Fleck being jumped. Once hearing of the situation, his coworker hands him a gun to use for protection.

Fleck’s life consists of going to work, meeting with his social worker and taking care of his sick mother Penny (Frances Conroy) whom he lives with.

After he brings his gun to the children’s hospital, Arthur is immediately fired and his fast descent into complete madness begins.

The music in the beginning establishes the time period the movie will take place. It has old time elements and sounds somewhat like a show tune. This

gives an insight to what direction the film could be going, and at times the comedic timing did fit with the scene, but it also throws off where things are going as the movie gets darker and crazier as it goes. Warner Bros. has been pushing for a “dark” universe since the release of “ Batman vs. Superman.” That film was a failure among fans, but “Joker” is a film that can be a model for the dark tone they want to achieve. As the character itself is one of the most villainous people in the D.C universe, focusing on villian’s origins or exploring the storylines outside of the regular heroes to expand the cinematic universe.

Many media outlets and fans voiced their concerns with how the movie glamorizes mental illness and the portrayal could only bring more negative attention to the discussion of mental health.

The portrayal in the movie held truth as it coincided with real life situations that are out of someone’s control. Fleck’s diagnosed with a neurological problem which is addressed a few times in the film and is seen taking medication and attending sessions with a social worker.

It attributes to how Fleck becomes the

Joker and refers back to early parts in the movie which points out things one missed throughout its entirety.

Phoenix stated that he did not take inspiration from previous jokers to model his, but there were parallels in the movie that many related to other actors, from the late Cesar Romero to Heath Ledger.

Details can be pointed out and reminded of those, which is a perfect choice to the new adaptation.

Conclusion “Joker” is a must see for everyone as no person would look at it the same.

The psychological-horror element is strong and Phoenix’s performance was realistic to the character and has reimagined the origins of the villain to be open-ended and incite discussion for many people, almost like it was intended to do.

Rotten Tomatoes critics have rated it at 69% but audience score is at 90% and a 9/10 in IMDb.

Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

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NEWS

ALPHA ALPHA P ALPHA ALPHA HI ALPHA ALPHA CHANGING THE PERCEPTION OF GREEK LIFE

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PHI ALPHA ALP A PHI ALPHA AL A PHI ALPHA A

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Bella Bishop Photos by Jorge Zamudio and Nicholas Clark

There is more than what meets the eye when it comes to greek life on Old Dominion University’s campus, especially when it comes to the NPHC fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha (Alphas). Beyond the strolls, probates, and colors they are men who seek to make a difference in themselves and the community around them.The brotherhood of these men is a deep rooted life-long relationship that they will carry beyond the yard of ODU’s campus.

Joining a fraternity is making a lifetime commitment to brotherhood, the community, and empowerment within yourself. Contrary to the partying stereotypes of fraternities, the Alphas hold themselves to a higher standard beyond just having a good time. They believe in representing themselves with strong character, honor and authenticity. For a large group of young men to have the equivalent strength of willingness to learn, to never forget their deep rooted brotherhood, and to hold each other accountable to a higher standard as human beings, is an incredible and honorable accomplishment as a fraternity and as a member within it. But having such a sturdy, long lasting connection from generation to generation all starts with a strong history.

The Alphas first originated in 1906 as a social club for African American students at Cornell University who were alienated from attending their college classes. The professors would do everything in their power to restrict African American students from attending classes or lectures. Seven students then formed a social club to help each other with school work, uplift one another to pursue their dreams of getting an education, and formed a strong bond to uplift their community. The fraternity officially founded a chapter on Old Dominion University’s campus in 1977 and still upholds to this day the same work ethic, humbleness, and loyalty that it placed in the very beginning.

“I joined this fraternity because I wanted to be a mentor for other people, and this fraternity gave me an opportunity to channel that. Last semester we did a weekly mentorship and partnered with “Brother to Brother” where young black men were taught how to cook.We as the Alphas would come in and speak to these kids that did not really care about school or college. By having them see us in our suits, being in

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college and making a difference maybe it would change their outlook on what they are capable of,” said D’Andre Jones, Chapter President. The Alphas feel it is important to set an example to other black men and children and encourage them to be their best self. They do this by implementing outreach programs where they work with the community to set a positive example on being successful. One of the programs the Alphas host is “Go to high school, go to college”.

The purpose of this program is to educate the youth about the opportunities they can have after high school whether it is pursuing a college degree, going to trade school, or joining the military. The Alphas take pride in having an influence and giving back to their community.

“Being black I would say we definitely have an obligation to put on a good image for other black men to follow so they can be leaders like us and that is a fundamental part of our foundation [as an organization],” said Mohamed Rebeiz, Intake Coordinator.

Each individual in the organization seeks to have a leadership position in order to positively influence the people around them.

They seek to lead by example and not get distracted by the hysteria and stereotypical greek life reputation.

“To impact other people is important. One year we had a football camp for kids and after they would play football outside, they would go inside and learn about science and technology, another year we went to feed the homeless. We held a lot of programs last year, one of them was informing others on knowing their rights in circumstances that may have you be encountered with law enforcement. I did whatever I could to get people to come out to that program because I feel people do not know exactly what their rights are. The main purpose of these programs are to see how any piece of my knowledge that I have can change your life,” said Marcus Lee, Recording Secretary.

“I joined this organization because it gives a platform to advocate for things you care about… We have a responsibility to make others strive for greatness.”

The Alphas are always on the move, constantly striving to have a positive impact and inform the campus community about political and ethical issues,” said Negus Assefa, Vice President. The brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha seek to uphold their duty as a male fraternity to strongly support women on campus with their annual “ Mrs. Black and Gold Pageant”. The pageant is a scholarship opportunity for women at Old Dominion University and strongly uplifts every woman taking part in it. Scholarship pageant as an extension of the fraternity. The contestants are strong women who are active in the community, successful students and uphold the characteristics and traits of the fraternity. Their main goals for young women is not necessarily to win, but to develop confidence in themselves, building character, and to develop a strong sense of women-hood for themselves and others around them.

Former pageant winners come back to help the new contestants with their walks, give them advice from their previous experience, and to incorporate a strong sense of uplifting each other as women.

“The pageant is actually really beautiful. One thing a lot of girls don’t realize about the pageant in the beginning is what they gain from it. Some girls come in super shy and soft spoken, but going through the pageant they gain confidence and build character. By the end of the pageant you won’t even know what woman that is,” said Mohamed Rebeiz.

The pageant is also an opportunity for Alphas to get a better understanding and perspective to learn some of the struggles and experiences that women face, and to help the women participating in the pageant conquer those insecurities or struggles in a respectful and safe environment.

It would be a disservice to boil this group of men down to just a fraternity label. From the outside looking in, it can be seen as an exclusive group of men who parade around in colors and greek letters not knowing

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NEWS

TAKING INITIATIVE Drink tester initiative on ODU’s campus

Natalie Hockaday

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onya Williams, a student at Old Dominion University is planning on bringing drink testing tablets to the campus. As a member of the Student Government Association (SGA) she is working along with other members to provide these tablets in order to increase safety for students and faculty around the university community. When these tablets are dipped in a drink it will be able to detect traces of drugs that may be in the drink.

Sonya was inspired to bring this product to the campus when the former SGA senate speaker, Jasmin Carmon shared information about the product as an idea for the organization to look into. Sonya’s own story inspired her to really make this idea a reality of the campus.

Like any other young adult in their twenties, Williams went out for a night with her friends to a bar to have a good time. Her friends had insisted in going to a poetry event that was inside a bar, but Sonya was not so much interested in the poetry and more the party. Her friends went to grab some drinks and have a fun night while Sonya got a mocktail made up of sweet tea and other juices. Sonya chose not to drink that night because she was the designated sober friend of the evening but she still wanted to fit in with her friends having fun and pretty drinks.

“While I’m still at the bar, I drop my bag on the floor and I lean down pick up my clutch and put it back on the counter of the bar area and I keep drinking my drink… time passes, I’m not sure exactly how long but next thing you know my legs gave out and I’m bucking trying to stand up and I urinated on myself… I was telling my arms to catch myself, but my hands were not responding… it was like my brain was disconnected with my body… A guy from base had seen me handpicked me up and threw me over his shoulders and took me to the emergency room [where they] pumped my stomach. [The doctor’s] asked

if I knew why I was [in this condition]… the police [later] came in and told me I was roofied and that I had a large amount in my system. I filed a police report and months later I was contacted by the police that this was an actual case and they found the guy who did it and I guess he had done it to multiple other women and some of them weren’t as lucky as I was to see have seen me and take me to the hospital,” said Williams.

“Some people would say that I’m blessed and I am and I do view it as that, but in a sense it’s like you have no idea how bad it could have been,” said Williams.

Sonya is motivated to seek justice and provide preventative resources for students and faculty. She wants to provide a space for people to feel comfortable and speak up about their experiences. She plans to implement this initiative across the campus and has the support from various organizations and students around the university.

“It seems like a secret that no one want to confront and I’m tired of feeling like it’s a secret. It’s a part of my story and if other people have a way tolerate then let’s talk about it,” said Williams.

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hen Sonya first started the initiative to bring drink testers to the campus she spoke to students to get an idea of how students would approve and react to it. Williams received an influx of approval and heard stories and testimonials from men and women about their experiences.

“I think [not as many people come out and talk about their experience] has a lot to do with people not knowing if it happened like the confusion. People second guess themselves thinking about what they did but you didn’t do anything but it took me a while to face that,” said Williams.

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SPORTS

PLAYER PROFILE:

LALA DAVIS

Siera Goard

I

n the past year, Old Dominion Universities football program has received an abundance of attention. After the 2018-19 season the football program lost a few key players on their roster. Players like Elijah (Lala) Davis have helped Old Dominions program continue to remain promising during the current 2019-20 season.

The Redshirt Freshman from Lynchburg, Va has contributed to ODU’s team stats since first stepping on the field in 2018.

Lala played in only four games last season at the running back position contributing 131-yards along and four touchdowns with 35 carries overall.

Davis was a three-star recruit while being ranked the No. 30 recruit in Virginia and No. 97 running back overall in the country. Lala attended Heritage High school where he rushed 6,690 yards. While helping create the opportunity for his team to see a State Championship he rushed for 229 yards along with one touchdown during the game while earning first-team All-Area honors and All-Area Offensive Player of the Year.

Photo by Keith Lucas

Until Davis’s senior year of high school he did not receive any offers for football. On February, 7 2018, Lala signed his letter of intent and committed to Old Dominion University. “I haven’t fully established myself but I think the goals I’m shooting for along with the teams goals are able to be achieved.” said Davis

Elijah Davis plans to commit himself to Old Dominions Football Program while continuing his success as not only an athlete but also a student. The ODU fan base is valuable to Davis and he expresses that the community can expect a player that is hungry, fun and a “people person.”

One of Davis’s goals is to prove himself and his game to the ODU community. “In the future, exciting things are coming.”

33 | maceandcrown.com

Photo by Keith Lucas

Davis carries the ball against VT Sept. 7th 2019 Fall 2019 | 34

SPORTS

BUILDING A

WINNING FOUNDATION AN INTERVIEW WITH COACH BOBBY WILDER & KEION WHITE

35 | maceandcrown.com

Photo by Keith Lucas

JAMES ONUSKA

T

he ODU football program is in its 10th season and it continues to build a winning program with excellent recruiting

by Head Coach Bobby Wilder and staff. The Monarchs are looking for a chance at a Conference USA Championship and a return to a bowl game which they achieved back in 2016; they played in the Popeye’s Bahamas Bowl and defeated Eastern Michigan with a winning score of 24-20.

This year the offense is led by Redshirt Senior running back Kesean Strong, who has showed his versatility with running the ball efficiently and catching the ball out of the backfield. The dual threat quarterback Stone Smartt will add to the offensive explosiveness with his progression in the passing game and his ability to break the pocket for positive yards. The defense ranks in top two in rushing defense and total defense in Conference USA, giving up an less than 90 yards on the ground. When Mace & Crown had the opportunity to sit down with Coach Wilder and defensive end Keion White several questions were answered about the direction of the program,

gram to receive positive recognition and will help in the football team’s growth during the process. With Virginia Tech, University of Virginia, and University of North Carolina on their schedule over the next few seasons this will influence the local talent to stay put and dawn the slate blue, silver, and light blue uniform.

The talent stretches throughout the Hampton Roads and as the football program continues to grow so does the caliber of player who elects to enroll at Old Dominion University. Coach Wilder expresses how imperative it is that the team takes on a 1-0 mentality, this requires the team to approach each week with winning that one game by finding a way to win.

The Mace & Crown was also able to find a food favorite of Coach Wilder. The Monarch’s Head Coach was born in Madison, Maine, and attended the University of Maine where he was a highly recruited quarterback. After that Coach Wilder held multiple coaching positions at Boston College and University of Maine before taking the Head Coaching position in 2007 for ODU.

“We take pride in the 11 letters across our chest that say Old Dominion.”

expectations for the team, and some personal food favorites.

Last year Keion White played tight end and lead the team with receptions at that position. This year Keion made the move to defensive end and had to acclimate to a different role. When Keion was asked about the challenges of switching to the defensive side of the ball Keion replied with “playing defense allows for me to play more freely and able to make plays”.

Keion also hinted at the possibilities of a few plays Offensive Coordinator Brian Scott may have that would require his experience down in the red zone back at the tight end position. When Keion isn’t playing football, he enjoys playing basketball down at the student recreation center and checking out local places to eat in Norfolk. A local food favorite is the Greg Brady Burger over at Jack Brown’s on Granby Street. This burger is topped with house-made Mac N’ Cheese, American-Cheddar blend cheese and Martin’s BBQ potato chips, a sandwich built for man in hot pursuit of a quarterback on a routine basis. Keion is a Real Estate Major and aspires to buy and restore desolated homes in Norfolk and then make them available for low income families in the area. The ferocious defensive end wants to continue building on his remarkable year where he has already been named C-USA Defensive Player of the Week after his performance against University of Virginia.

With the heart of the schedule left to be played, it is vital for ODU students to get out and support the football program. When asked what it means for students to come out and support the program Coach Wilder responded “I tell the players that those are your classmates and to thank them for supporting us. We take pride in the 11 letters across our chest that say Old Dominion”.

The first goal every year is getting Bowl eligible which includes winning a Conference Championship. Playing power five schools like University of Virginia and Virginia Tech has allowed for the pro-

- Coach Bobby Wilder

W

hen asked if he was a New England clam chowder or a she-crab soup kind of guy Coach Wilder replied “I would take a bowl of clam chowder with every meal. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner I can eat New England clam chowder all day”.

The clam chowder sounds good, but the ODU football team is in pursuit of something else that would fill all fans and players appetite.

The coaching staff and team put emphasis on winning all conference home games and a few on the road. If the Monarchs accomplish this, they could see themselves playing for their second Bowl game in the program’s short history. The new stadium has been consistently selling out with a large student body population.

Quarterback Stone Smartt continues to improve every week at the position. The defense shows tremendous speed and effort that demonstrates unity. Shut down corner back Kaleb Ford-Dement endlessly demonstrates why the opposing quarterback shouldn’t throw in his direction. This defense is stacked with pass rushers like Jordan Young and Keion White leaving quarterbacks running for cover.

With the additional seating and the added leg room for fans, the home games are the ideal place to spend your Saturdays. The stadium has also upgraded their impressive new state- of-the-art video board and ribbon scoreboards that line the west, south, and east sides of the stadium. Don’t forget the increase numbers of concession items sold at S.B. Ballard Stadium.

Crab cake sliders, tacos, Philly style cheesesteaks, and nacho builders add to the reason to come route for your Old Dominion football squad. This team continues to improve every week and with conference play heating up, it could make for a recipe for success for the ODU Monarchs football program.

Fall 2019 | 36

TECHNOLOGY

LEVEL UP Interview ODU’s

Game

Major

Studies

with Tyler

37 | maceandcrown.com

on

Dr.

&

Design

Moberly

Eddins

Dr. Kevin Moberly is the Associate Professor spearheading the new Game Studies & Design (B.S.) degree here at ODU. Mace & Crown staff writer Tyler Eddins sat down with Dr. Moberly to discuss the ins and outs of the new program. Below is a portion of their conversation.

What’s your background in gaming?

Dr. Moberly: I’ve always been interested in gaming. My brother and I grew up in Portsmouth… I remember we went to a mall in Newport News, we were very young and saw our first video arcade. We immediately on the way home were like ‘How can we make one of these things?’

So, we were thinking like strings and like screws and all the things to make PacMan move around. So, I’ve always been sort of interested in games… I’ve always been interested in how games draw people in, how they construct experiences, how they reward people, how they punish people all of that kind of stuff.

What are some of your favorite games?

Dr. Moberly: Some of my favorite games are ‘Borderlands 2’, ‘Portal’. Some early games, ‘Star Flight’, ‘Star Flight 2’. The genre of games I really like are games like ‘Oblivion’, ‘Skyrim’, ‘The Witcher’, these medieval themed roleplaying games… The types of games I like are these just kind of enormous epic things where you as a character go into these worlds and you feel like your completely overwhelmed and then you little by little unlock the world and unlock the puzzles and things like that. I also do really like casual games just for how they can put a lot of gameplay in five-minute sessions.

I’m always looking at games.

This Game Studies and Design degree that you’re bringing to the school, was there something similar in place or is this new to the university?

Dr. Moberly: This is new to the university, but this is the second attempt. I’ve been working for five years to get this started. It grew out of the Video Game Design and Development Club. I’ve been teaching for the past five or six years a class called Gaming and Rhetoric. I’ve always advertised the class to a wide swath of students and I had some students in the first or second year I taught it say ‘We came here and we would like a major’ and ‘How do we start with a major?’, and things like

You mentioned the Game and Rhetoric Course, are there any new courses in the program?

Dr. Moberly: All of the game courses are new... GAME 201 introduces the students to the 4 core areas. The two explicit areas of the degree and the two hidden, or Easter egg areas.

The two main ones are Design and Development. Design being art, levels, sound, story, that kind of thing.

Development being programming.

But there’s also a strong emphasis on entrepreneurship because the gaming industry is a creative industry, and if you’re going to go into a creative industry you need to have a portfolio.

“We want to produce thoughtful, mindful game designers.” that. So, Avi Santo and I started an initiative with a gaming company idea that students at ODU would work for private and public clients creating games as a kind of internship and then they would have something for their portfolios. That one we did good work, but it didn’t work out because of some issues at the time. This is not me just doing this program. It’s Andrew Kissel in Philosophy, Marc Ouellette in English and Virginia Tucker in IDS.

You need to know how to market your ideas. You need to know how to sell your ideas. You need to be able to come up with innovative ideas and recognize opportunities. The other piece is the criticism piece.

We want to produce thoughtful, mindful game designers. We want to produce game designers who can analyze games to say, not just what looks good and what doesn’t, what’s fun and what’s not fun, but also to sort of come up with games that reach broader audiences. Games that are more politically conscious. Games as art… We want are students to distinguish themselves and to work in the industry. But also, to say I have this ability to think in new ways and different ways. To see opportunities where other people didn’t see opportunities… Then we have GAME 240 which is a class that is all about reading games and about the critical angle of games. It’s about how to evaluate games.

Fall 2019 | 38

“I love games. I’d love to have this program help make Norfolk a kind of a center for games.”

Because I think game designers and game developers need to know how games communicate messages.

How games are at once the same as cinema, fiction, sports and other things, but also different… It’s about critically playing games. We have a GAME class on the books that’s all about world building… We have a class on mechanics of course and balance and all that kind of stuff. Then a lot of the skills-based classes, since it’s an IDS degree the programming classes are in computer science. I put an English class on the books for creative writing for games. The art classes are in the art department and we have some communications.

So, what we are trying to do is take what’s already there, the expertise that the university has and then tie these together with a core.

Is there a way that you’re planning on integrating games in your course like how the film courses integrate movies?

Dr. Moberly: Every day I have the students play games. You know, it would be silly to have a Shakespeare class and not read Shakespeare. In the GAME 240 class I’m going to assign games that students will play, and we’ll talk about these games. Also, a strong emphasis on cre-

39 | maceandcrown.com

ating games. The final project for GAME 201 is the students will create games.

Right now, they’re coming up with game ideas and then they’re going to design and then program things because we think it’s important for people working in the gaming industry to not be an expert in every aspect but know how the aspects fit together and work together.

Again, we’re trying to teach people an entrepreneurial way of figuring out, ok, this is a game I want to make. Being able to evaluate whether or not this game will be marketable. If you want to make serious games for education whether it will be effective and then figuring out, ok these are what the assets I need to create for the games. These are where the resources are, and this is what I need to teach myself and this is what I already know. Then putting all that together in a way that creates a final package… The gaming industry is constantly changing and constantly evolving… We want to prepare our students to be able to come to terms with those changes and not get stuck in a rut… One of the primary ideologies is new, better, faster, brighter. Every game tends to be better faster brighter than the other game, and that requires a certain mindset.

How many students have expressed interest or committed to following this new degree program?

Dr. Moberly: I think we have about… 20 majors right now. 20 majors, but I’ve just met with a student earlier today about it. I have an email from another student who wants to meet with me. So, I think there’s a ton of interest.

As of right now is it strictly a major or is there a minor as well?

Dr. Moberly: It’s a major right now. We want to eventually get a minor, but in order to get a minor we need to be able to offer all the courses that are required for the minor in one semester.

This semester we are only offering one game class. Next semester we’re offering GAME 201, GAME 240 and English 355… Then hopefully next fall we’ll be offering more but we’re just trying to ramp our ourselves up… Just building up speed. Just gauging interest because we don’t want to build all this infrastructure and then have it go to waste.

But at the same time, we don’t want to underestimate the demand either What kind of jobs and internships can students who follow this degree program expect to get? Are you focusing more on just the development side or are there going to be later iterations dealing with game marketing and other areas?

Dr. Moberly: Yeah. Right now, we’re just primarily focused on design and development because we took a look at the job ads out there... Eventually we would like to branch into business for games, game marketing and the other way we’d like to branch into is education games and things like that. We’re still working for internship opportunities and still trying to identify those with local people around and nonprofits and things like that. So, yeah that’s what we’re aiming for. But right now, we’re just going for what the job ads kind of tell us.

Is there some sort of student involvement where they’re telling you what they would like to see course wise?

Dr. Moberly: Right now, it’s informal through informal feedback but eventually I’d like to put together a student advisory group and also a faculty advisor group.

So it’s having students say this is what our feedback is and the classes and you get the students involved because, like I said, this from its genesis was the Game Design Club coming to me and saying we really want to study this thing and there’s no program. I mean George Mason has a program, but that’s four hours away...

So, it’s been kind of student driven from the beginning.

Are you looking to eventually move into a portfolio system of progression for the degree like the art programs?

Dr. Moberly: Yeah. We are doing that.

The first assignment for this class is an invention challenge. Basically, how to come up with ideas for games and each step, but the last thing is to culminate a mini game proposal which they will publish on their WordPress portfolio site.

I don’t see this as being a test or quiz based major. I see this being a major like art, like creative writing in which the primary way that students are going to get jobs is that they have a portfolio. One thing we know in design is that nobody gets design right the first time around.

It’s a lot of stops and starts, going forwards and backwards and so portfolios allow for that to happen versus thou shalt submit, you know?

Where do you want the program to go?

Dr. Moberly: I want it to be one of the leading programs in the nation. I want people to come out of state and from out of country to ODU to study games. A lot of programs I see are either in development or design they’re not in both. I don’t see any having the entrepreneurship. Focus. I don’t see many having the criticism focus. Another area we want to expand is to prepare students to go to graduate school in games and games studies and stuff like that… In the near term what my vision is we’re going to, I think it might be too soon to say this but I think we’ve talked with the administration, have a stand-alone lab which we can teach classes in but then students can also come in and work on their own projects and programs. Also, to have a gallery space so we can show of the games that students make. Work with the local community with Pixel Fest and some of the other things to encourage gaming in the area and Norfolk, Virginia…

I love games. I’d love to have this program help make Norfolk a kind of a center for games. We’re halfway between Washington D.C. with Bethesda and then Raleigh so we’re in this area which is kind of sandwiched between these two major areas of production. You know, I just want it to have a reputation for employers to say if you hire an ODU student from this program the student will not just know the fundamental skills but be self-motivated or be able to take on projects without having to look over their shoulder. Will be innovative and a good communicator and that kind of thing. That’s what my vision is.

Fall 2019 | 40

TECHNOLOGY

HEY, I RECOGNIZE YOU 41 | maceandcrown.com

Kyle Winfield

Cameras are everywhere. Traffic cameras catch someone speeding or running a red light. Surveillance cameras can act as a deterrent from stealing in a store, or any number of things. Police wear them on their bodies. You have one in your pocket. At this point, they are just another part of everyday life.They have become so commonplace that we do not even notice them anymore. But what if these cameras could recognize you?

Facial recognition software is the technology that is able to recognize and identify an individual from still images or a video frame. They work by selecting certain facial features and then matching those against a database of other faces. The technology has been around for longer than one would think, getting its start in the 1960’s.

The original software, developed by Woody Bledsoe, Helen Chan, and Charles Bisson, worked by manually picking out various aspects of human faces and then compared against other faces in a database in order to determine the identity of said face. This technology would evolve from having humans manually enter faces and the distances between features, to involving AI learning.

Since then, facial recognition has been used in a variety of circumstances. The most common instance is on smartphones. Replacing the old PINs, passwords and fingerprint scanners is facial recognition which has emerged as a new way to unlock your phone. All that’s required is the phone owner’s face and a front facing camera. The software stores an image of the owners face and then scans their face against the stored image whenever they open up their phone.

Another usage of this technology is in the world of medicine. Similar to how smartphones will unlock by scanning the user’s face, some hospitals dispense medicine by scanning the face and matching it with a prescription.

While those former uses seem relatively benign, there are some other uses, and flaws, of this technology that should raise some serious eyebrows.

Using facial recognition software to catch criminals sounds like something out of a science fiction film. It conjures images of grainy camera footage zooming in on a crowd, where it singles out the perp’s face, scans it, and then enhances the image to a sharper clarity. The police then do their job, and the case is solved.

Or it could go in a different direction, where the software misidentifies a suspect, and the police arrest the wrong man. These fears were shared by many in the field of facial recognition software who feel that this would give the police and other government organizations too much power in monitoring the populace.

While the software has the potential to be used to make breakthroughs in missing persons cases, or track criminals, it is still not perfect. This would lead to mistakes and false positives being used as the basis for making arrests. Or even worse abuses.

This has led to companies who produce the software refusing to sell it to law enforcement agencies, and even calls to congress to limit the uses of this technology. Brian Brackeen, CEO of Kairos, a company that produces facial recognition software, expressed his concern for the potential uses of this software, saying “It’s not too late for someone to take a stand and keep this from happening.”

Brackeen’s concerns comes from the software’s lack of ability to differentiate faces of people who have darker complexions.

This concern was also noted in a New York Times article, which detailed the success rate that these technologies had in terms of differentiating between lighter skinned faces and darker skinned faces.

Steve Lohr, the writer of the New York Times article, noted that in the cases of the software trying to identify white males, “the software was right 99 percent of the time.” Contrast this with the software’s success in identifying darker skinned women which was “35 percent for images of darker skinned women.”

Think back to how this could be used in the field of law enforcement. If a law enforcement agency purchases a software that was trained disproportionately to identify white men with a higher rate of success when compared to black women, the chances of the latter group being wrongfully misidentified and targeted will drastically increase.

Or, consider how the technology has been used by law enforcement abroad in places like Hong Kong. While political protestors fill the streets of Hong Kong, the police have taken to using facial recognition tied to surveillance cameras and phones to target individuals who lead the protests in order to arrest them. This has led to protestors covering their faces in order to avoid being targeted by the increasingly aggressive police tactics.

The same goes for protestors, who have taken to using facial recognition apps to target undercover police who have tried to infiltrate said protests. One protestor, Colin Cheung who was wrongfully arrested, defended the use of the apps, saying in a New York Times article “If law enforcement officers don’t wear anything to show their identity, they’ll become corrupt.”

These are just some of the ways that facial recognition software can be used. While there are some positive uses, there can be just as many negative uses that could ultimately harm a society and it’s people.

These disparities were documented by M.I.T. Media Lab researcher Joy Buolamwini, who demonstrated that biases can creep into artificial intelligence, due to what kind of data is fed to it in order to train it.

When the AI is given more images of white male faces, it will be better able to differentiate which face belongs to who with a much higher rate of success. The inverse is true, in that when given less faces of African American women, the lower the rate of success will be in terms of differentiating between them.

Fall 2019 | 42

TECHNOLOGY

I ndi e

Ga m e s

to

p l ay

t h i s

H al l oween

Konami

Castlevania : Symphony of the Night

This article couldn’t exist without mentioning this one. It’s, like, THE one. I mean, Metroid gets you with its tone, the atmosphere all lonely and oppressive, and you can get killed by big aliens - but you play as a vampire in Castlevania. And think about what else defines traditional horror. Frankenstein’s monster? I’m pretty sure this has that. Werewolves. They’re hanging out in there too. Whips? Oh, of course. But, I know, I’ll admit – the game isn’t all that creepy. Yet

I give it a pass because of the legacy. It’s in the freaking name of the genre. Halloween is around the corner, too, the fetid musk of zombies and other ghouls wafting in. So, Symphony of the Night is worth mentioning for the thousandth time. The game did some great things for Metroidvania combat, no doubt inspiring Blasphemous and Hollow Knight’s swordplay, with those deft horizontal swings. Then there’s the map, which is brilliant for many reasons, but especially

so for the big flip, I mean, big twist. It’s a map that’s pulling double duty. Still, while there is so much more that could be talked about, it is my imperative to use this final sentence as a reflection on this game’s burning question: the question which reverberated throughout the decades following its raucous disquisition: “What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets. But enough talk… Have at you!”

Team Cherry

Hollow Knight isn’t permeated by horror, but it is certainly touched by it. Everything in the game is dark and it makes sense. I mean, the game is underground. At least 90% of it, anyway, is underground (and no, not in the sense of the word that most indie games are underground). What’s underground, then?

A lot of things, and a lot of those things are animated by a want to kill you. There’s levity

43 | maceandcrown.com

Hollow Knight

here and cuteness there, but it seems a proclivity to perturbance runs deep, where long, serrated bugs unfurl out of caverns and into deeper, and darker, pits. The game is something to be marveled, as a game, where the sense of progression is strong, and the length of the core experience is gloriously exhaustive and touched by all the right kinds of lore in that it doesn’t tell you anything, ever, without

a question lingering as to the past. Why are all these buggy monsters trying to kill you? What happened to this great, decrepit empire? Where did everybuggy go? Most players won’t ever know and that’s half the beauty of it and half of what makes me squirm.

Sean Fitzpatrick Metrovanias are some of the best indie games, especially during the Halloween season. Let’s take a look at some of the scary stuff.

Thomas Happ Games LLC

Axiom Verge is very strong, with satisfying map traversal and combat, its inspirations loud and emblazoned, from Metroid (of course) and, interestingly enough, from Contra, and it’s creative in drawing attention to its medium, too, as the player character glitches through walls and defrags swirling fractals. Yet at the outset, Axiom Verge appears to be a far cry from the macabre, with

its typical assortment of hostile alien fauna and laser guns. However, upon further inspection, science fiction gives way to something nasty, writhing just beneath the skin. It’s the heart of what makes it special, as well as what makes it relevant this time of year: it’s pulsating and disturbing. Walls breath, complete with many deep mouths and blushing veins, rippling with life. A young man purses

Axiom Verge

a cycle of life and death, as he is birthed and rebirthed endlessly by a pimpled egg. And most fun of all are the Rusalki - giant, dubious mechanoids grafted to chamber walls and sometimes lumbering through their open spaces, tubes jutting out the backs of their heads while neck tendons hang in the open air. The game’s like Metroid if it leaned more into the whole H.R. Giger thing,

The Game Kitchen

This one is open about its, erm, tastes. It may even be over-the-top - but it’s done in such a way that I can’t help but take to it. Blasphemous is manic about pain and it is obsessed with penitence taken to gruesome extremes.

In metroidvania fashion, the player needs to traverse, but what characterizes this world, exactly? It’s the literal mountain of dead bodies. It’s the pathways marked by blood-

soaked iconographic monoliths. Blasphemous’ world is tainted by some oxymoronic force that is, at once, loved but feared, gentle but brutish. By the zealous force of some anachronistic and unnamed religion, there is endless self-flagellation and endless blood, that seemingly must go into conical helmets. It’s gripped with this kind of thing and thank god, right? It’s wonderful looking.

Blasphemous

Gameplay-wise, it’s great. Dodge, and hit, good movement, etcetera. This may help the reader understand, but it will come at a great price. I will now commit the cardinal sin of game editorials and say that Blasphemous is the Dark Souls of metroidvanias. I am aware this is a silly thing to say, but, oh well. Now I must be punished!

Fall 2019 | 44

The

TECHNOLOGY

sychology HOW HORROR GAMES MESS WITH YOU

of

BROOKE NICHOLSON

error

Horror games and movies are a Halloween staple when it comes to wanting to get into the spooky mood, and people love to scare the crap out of themselves. While we know horror movies employ the use of certain techniques such as blue tones, use specific instruments like the apprehension engine, and do not use a normal amount of lighting when filming, horror games use a variety of other individual, unique techniques in order to make sure the person playing the game is able to get into a petrified state, all in the name of fun.

them. Having another person beside you in tough situations brings out certain characteristics such as pride and false bravery, but once you’re by yourself, there is no one else there to judge you by your actions.This tactic works especially well with horror games; unlike horror movies, where the camera decides where you look and the director chooses what will happen to the main character and you’re guaranteed an ending, horror games force you to make those decisions for yourself, and if you don’t make the correct ones, then you may not make it out.

One of the first ways horror games project the feeling of dread onto its players is the same as horror movies - the use of lighting. Horror games, like the movies, create a sense of unknowingness when they force their players into a dark forest alone, or through a seemingly never-ending hallway loop. Being afraid of the dark has been a common phobia for as long as humans have roamed the Earth, and is an easy way for developers to hide a creature in, or to play an inhumane noise to echo in the distance.

This darkness gives players the false hope of thinking that if they just keep moving forward, that eventually they will see light at the end of the tunnel.

The fear of the unknown and being cast into unfamiliar territories and situations is wired into the human brain, and horror games do us justice by messing us up when it comes to its crazy environments. When anything is taken to the extreme and wildly out of context like religion, emotions, and even children, we as humans do not know how to handle situations that deviate far from the norm. Developers of horror games use that weakness against use in order to explore what it would be like if we had to suddenly fight off a extremist cult, or wander through environments that do not exist in real life, or handle a child who constantly disappears/reappears again with the concept of murder on their mind. Because the concept of horror and terror are not what we normally experience in day-to-day life, we are forced to revert back to basic survival instincts in the game and would do anything just to make the nightmare end.

Have you noticed that when you play a horror game, there usually aren’t that many other people around besides your main character? Developers do that on purpose.

Most people tend to gather up some courage when they know they have someone else by their side who might be able to help

Courtesy of Hideo Kojima

45 | maceandcrown.com

CREATIVE ENCLAVE

I Am Saving You Leah Onosato

You take my hand and your hand is cold.

Cold, but not like ice. It is not wet, or uncomfortable. No, it is like marble. Smooth and soothing.

I think, this is not bad. This is nice.

I think, to myself, what is everybody so afraid of? This is nice.

I wonder again why I came out here tonight. I wonder aloud, and you answer me.

You say, ‘To find me, of course.’

And I, of course, agree. I don’t know if you are right, but I agree.

The woods are a strange place. There are bugs chirping and leaves rustling. The wind cools the earth and the branches dance to unheard music. The stars glisten from between tree-heads. The moon peers down at me like a cyclops. You sit beside me on the tree trunk, in silence.

I’ve yet to ask you your name, but I know who you are. Because you are right. I did come out here seeking you.

And now I’ve found you.

I’ve toyed with the idea of meeting you for quite a while now. I just never had the stomach to follow through with it till tonight.

I couldn’t tell you why tonight seemed like a good idea to meet you, because I am still trying to figure that out myself. I vaguely remember a reason. Maybe. Maybe not. I’m not sure anymore. My brain feels like it is filled with fog and clouds. Every moment spent out here in the still of night with you is making my memories and processing so rusty, it feels like I haven’t tried to think in a century.

My heart is beating so hard. It is alive. I am all emotion, no logic.

I have no proof, of course, but I think it is because of you. I think you are changing me.

I’m becoming simple again. You are bringing me back to childhood, to infanthood. I am falling apart, but coming together.

What are you doing to me?

I do not dare say it aloud, but you seem to hear me, and answer.

You say, ‘I am saving you.’

And I agree.

Is that not exactly what I sought you out to do for me? To save me?

But you speak again, with a voice so soft, like a whisper. But you are not whispering, you are speaking aloud. You say, ‘I will save you.’

I nod my head.

‘I will save you, but you will not like how I do it.’

You are confusing me. I came here perfectly aware of who you are. I know what you will do. I know how you will save me. Why should I not like it?

Granted, I did not think it would be pleasant, but I knew what I was getting into. It annoys me to think that you thought I came here when I was not yet ready.

I am ready.

Very ready.

I would not be here if I were not ready.

To meet you.

I say none of this, but again you hear me.

Your voice slips into my ear, like a comforting endearment. Your voice is very beautiful, like your flawless pale complexion. It is poetic and rhythmic. The rhythm is slow and the poem a tragedy. But it is beautiful.

You say to me, ‘You must go home tonight.

Tonight is not your night to go home with me.’

Your words sting my heart.

Why not? Why? I came here to meet you. To go home with you. Tonight.

‘Not tonight,’ you say. ‘Tonight is not your night. Come back to me, later, and I will take you home to be mine. But not tonight.’

Then you let go of my hand, and I panic.

I reach for you, but you are already out of reach. Don’t go. Don’t go. I cry aloud, but you do not come back. You slowly drift away from me, shaking your pretty face. You are so cold, you are marble. I cry out, what are you doing? Where are you going? Why are you leaving me?

You say, your voice becoming the wind. Becoming the murmur of night. You say, ‘I am saving you.’

I want to run after you, but you are already gone. I am left alone, saved you say. I do not feel saved. No, I feel forsaken.

I wish you would come back. I think of falling and night and falling stars. I remember falling in an effort to run after you. I am a mess, a puddle of grief that tragically shimmers with moonlight of hope.

You are still in my head. Telling me ‘go home,’ whispering in my head, ‘to tomorrow.’ This is not how I wanted to be saved. I wanted to forget every shade of tomorrow.

I cannot.

The moment is lost.

You have taken it from me.

I cannot tell, Death, whether you have saved me or left me broken beyond repair.

Fall 2019 | 46

CREATIVE ENCLAVE

Sleepwalking Cliché Ashley Mazza

47 | maceandcrown.com

My inflections quiver like, like, like

It hurts. I- I want you to understand that it hurts.

I’m having trouble sleeping Having trouble eating

Having trouble thinking I push against the broken door

Hoping the frame will cave in on me It doesn’t.

I want to move forward

Shear will won’t fix anything They are heavy

Like, like, like

Fuck, I wish I could think.

Like, the rain during a hurricane

I cling to… I can’t decide which word would be better More conveniences are consumed.

I’m not afraid.

Like, like, like androphobia

Tell my non schizophrenic brain “I’m fine.”

Like, like, like the exhaustion is temporary. Normal.

Whispers cascade, tumble down my brain I’m having trouble thinking Having trouble eating

Having trouble sleeping

Sit alone, sit with the uneasy, uncomfortable Heart death

Air suffocates my waterlogged lungs

Like, like, I can’t find the words to explain

Petrification of body numb silence Screech into my mind

I will never hear you We all die here.

Feeling light in the head

My bed is more comfortable than your friendless concern

Like, like, like

Relaxing more than just my suicidal self loathing I don’t know how to- shhhhh.

Fall 2019 | 48

CREATIVE ENCLAVE

Jack O Lantern Tale

By Rivers Raye Middleton

49 | maceandcrown.com

Time to carve the jack-o-lantern!

Sister and brother sat down to watch.

Father had been very stern; Do not eat any butterscotch.

She looked back to her parent To tell them he was stealing But she couldn’t see where they went And she got a funny feeling

“We will hollow you as your mother Hollowed us! Just stay right where You are don’t be a bother.”

They dance in a circle around the pair.

Brother had taken some Only for sister to get blamed.

Anger made sister numb For she had been framed!

Use a knife to carve Eyes a mouth and nose Make sure it has a good curve And the teeth cut in spiky rows

The Pumpkins seem to squeeze tighter Around the children their wicked eyes Seem to glow a little brighter Jack-o-lantern is the demon’s guise

Sister crossed arms and put down her head.

Sister could not carve a jack-o-lantern; She would much rather go to bed, Instead she watched the candles burn.

Sister finally noticed something Something something endless What she finally noticed was something That made her feel helpless

Pumpkins pumpkins pumpkins Pumpkins pumpkins pumpkins What a death to die by pumpkins Pumpkins pumpkins pumpkins

A face blank; oranged Horrendous expressions cut across Evil expression madman deranged Just a head lying in the moss

The Jack-o-lanterns cut off brothers head And hollowed it and made teeth He was a Jack-o-lantern now; dead Now she looked at her body nothing beneath

She wished brother were gone, Or never born then she could Carve the pumpkin; it was wrong She pulled her head into her hood.

Scraping scraps scratching Seeds and pumpkin splat Scratching scraps scraping Thinking about the little brat.

Pumpkins pumpkins pumpkins Hollowed out inside Pumpkins pumpkins pumpkins Crushed to make pumpkin pie Sister looked up across the streets A ring of the hollowed out things And in the middle a bowl of treats Butterscotch and hard candy on strings Jack-o-lanterns soon to be Pumpkins pumpkins pumpkins That is what once they were; free Pumpkins pumpkins pumpkins Brother followed to get more sweets And sister got a little bit mad And tore off his ghostly sheets Tears sprung from the lad Scoop out the seeds Scoop scoop scoop Pull out the pumpkin; juice bleeds Scoop scoop scoop

A hundred of them in a circle Gathering around brother and sister Fear was monumental For this could not occur Put in a candle light the candle A light flickering monstrously behind A spark of madness few can handle More human than a simple rind Sister was unsure what to do Brother was shaking uncontrollably All around the children they grew There was no room to flee; Pumpkins pumpkins pumpkins!

Glowing evilly in the night Pumpkins Pumpkins Pumpkins!

Cackling in fiery delight Everywhere the children turn Pumpkins Pumpkins Pumpkins Pairs of eyes into their hearts burn Pumpkins Pumpkins Pumpkins They seem to come in closer closer Hovering around the children in the ring A little candy performed the lure And now all those raucous pumpkins sing

This was impossible to swallow No one could hear her plea She had become a hollow She was nothing; empty Scream scream scream Jack-o-lanterns nightmare Dream dream dream Her mother brushing her hair So sister finally awoke She had fallen asleep. “Brother?”

The tears stung and choke Sister ran and hugged brother.

She knocked the jack-o-lantern off The table on her way. “Sister! Why, You knocked our jack-o-lantern off!”

And the sister just laughed then sighed.

Fall 2019 | 50

CREATIVE ENCLAVE

Real Life Leah Onosato

I always liked horror films. I liked to go to the movies with my buddies and get myself scared out of my pants.

The scarier the better, ya know? Bloodier, darker, more shocking. Or whatever. I’m just saying that I liked that stuff, okay?

But only because I guess I thought it wasn’t real. Or at least not real for me. Never me. No one does, you know.

No one thinks that that mess would happen to them. The ones who do are the ones who ‘don’t like horror movies.’

For others, for me, it was never real. It didn’t happen in real life.

I didn’t realize how easily it could happen.

To me.

I guess maybe I should’ve seen it coming? I had always been the outsider within our friend group. I use that term as an understatement, to be polite. I was part of the group, I guess, but I was the one who’d be told to take the trays to the trash and be left behind at the cafeteria when I did. I was the one who’d they have run errands, like buy the drinks. And then get the drinks poured on me and have to go back to get more. All in jest, of course. As a hilarious joke, of course. Of course.

I guess I should’ve seen it coming. I was living it after all. I guess I just thought it was better than being alone.

I thought that if it meant I belonged, if it gave me a place to be from or of, what did it matter? If putting up with all the jests would keep me from being alone…. Of course, look at what it’s come to. I’m alone after all.

Alone in a dark tunnel covered in graffiti. Is it sad that it has to be such a cliché setting? Do you wish it was a bit more original? Like... but that’s the problem. Horror movies are cliché anywhere. They’ve used up all the good places: abandoned sheds, sewers, fortune-teller lairs, carnivals, woods. Nowhere is not cliché, so it really doesn’t matter, okay? I mean, don’t you think?

It smells bad in here. Really odd combination of smells.

I wonder how many things are coming together to produce this specific opposite-of-cliché odor. I wonder why I sound so detached, even in my head. Coping method, I guess? My psychology professor could maybe tell me. Not that I’ll be seeing him anytime soon.

The day started out so normal. I mean, something like this takes a lot of preparation so I guess it should seem normal for a perfect crime. I went to class, a little tardy, I guess, but that’s an inconsequential deviance from the norm. Wouldn’t you say? Happens to anybody, anytime, without meaning bloody anything.

As usual on Fridays, a call to go out tonight was sent to the group chat. As usual, it was sent by Aria,

51 | maceandcrown.com

a criminal justice major, and the only girl among us, so the only one with access to parties in the first place. This was normal. Usual. A pretty much weekly thing that I was expecting. Completely normal. Nothing suspicious or out of order or implicating. Completely normal. What did I have to worry about?

Don’t you see? It was the perfect precedent, the perfect setting, for a crime, for a perfect crime, far better than any of the cheesy horror movies I used to love so much.

I used to love them. I really did. Horror was my favorite movie genre. It really was. Until it became real. Until it happened to me.

I was there though, you know. It was my own damn life. In hindsight, the signs were everywhere. The subliminal hate and mockery and rage. How did I not see it coming? Why did I pretend it wouldn’t happen, wouldn’t come?

As usual, I was the DD. Everyone crammed into my car and I drove for some frat house, which just so happened to have a shortcut through a dark tunnel, where my car just so happened to break down.

It’s old and battered, so this is normal too. It usually broke down once a night whenever we went out as a group.

So many things had to line up, you see. For the perfect setting to a perfect crime to a perfect horror story. But they lined up so easily. All the necessary checkpoints were made.

The car stopped. I got out. I dug out my toolbox. I perform a thorough engine check. One by one they came out to help, each getting their turn. It was one against 5, 2 of ‘em D2 athletes. Done so beautifully, really. Most efficiently. The goriest way possible to get all the shock factor points in for the horror movie that was being enacted. In real life. So fitting. Such a perfectly executed crime.

I should have seen it coming. I should have, don’t you think? I should have known the horror stories are real and that they can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere, by anyone. All six of us should’ve known.

How weak life is. How fragile. How bloody death is.

My hands are covered in blood. So much, so much blood. It’s everywhere, and it smells bad.

So this is what death, what murder looks like in real life. It’s pretty messy. And actually kinda slow. Took forever. Much longer than I thought. Of course, it was 5 people, going one at a time.

So, so much blood.

Everywhere.

On my hands.

On my car.

On my toolbox On the ground.

All over my friends.

Am I still allowed to call them my friends?

So much blood.

So sad.

So much life lost.

I should’ve known it would happen.

All the signs were there.

I guess I just didn’t think I would be brave enough.

Or that I would succeed.

But it was just so easy, too easy.

I knew I had it in me to be a murderer, but I guess I still thought it didn’t actually happen in real life.

Goes to show you huh.

Fall 2019 | 52

CREATIVE ENCLAVE

How Do You Spell Epiphany Brooke Nicholson

The walk did more than nothing.

The reds and blues and greens were inked on by a creature wanting more than this.

The faded colors over the crooked bridge, the one whose boards were not held together well and manifested the personality of its surroundings, beheld another whose primary purpose was unknown.

But, despite the ominous beauty of it, the look on his face says it all.

The black cloak and ghostly head could not contain the feeling, the thought, that the environment, nor the outfit can be seen as the burden that gouged the hole on his face into a scream.

53 | maceandcrown.com

Courtesy of Public Domain

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